Abstract:
Religious beliefs influence how people perceive and practice their work;
hence the blending of religion and work ethic is intertwined. The main
purpose of this study was to examine use of work hours for religious activities
by workers and assess its impact on their productivity, profitability,
sustainability, and the survival of the institutions in which they work. The
study is a purely qualitative in nature. Simple random sampling was used to
select 50 research participants for the study. Semi-structured interview and
observation were the tools used to gather data for the study. The study
revealed workers carry religion to the workplace by engaging in various
religious activities during working hours. The findings indicated that religious
engagements during working hours could pose undue hardships on the
business and negatively impacts work output and performance. Also, workers
engage in religious activities at workplaces because of the benefits they derive
from such activities. The study, in view of this, concluded that despite the
negative impact associated with the use of working hours for religious
activities, the Berekum workers will prefer to use their time to seek and
receive the attention and blessings of the benevolent spirits so that they can
always be in good health throughout their lives. The study, therefore,
recommended that strict monitoring of workers is needed to regulate religious
activities or engagements at the workplace. Working time and rules regulating
work must be used positively in order to be in good relationship at both
vertical and horizontal levels of life.
